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G.I. Combat Vol 1 251
** ** ** ** ** Supporting Characters: ** Antagonists: * Unnamed German soldiers Other Characters: * Unnamed American Tank Captain * Slim Stryker * Arch Asher Locations: * Vehicles: * * Panzerkampfwagen IV * Jagdpanzer 38 Light Tank Destroyer | StoryTitle2 = The Killer Cannon | Synopsis2 = The Mercenaries - Gordon, Prince, and Horst - are enjoying some time with the ladies as a gambling casino in the capital city of a Central American country when they are set up and ambushed outside by a group of petty thugs looking to rob them of their earnings. The Mercenaries quickly move into action, taking out all of the would-be robbers with very little effort. Their fight is watched from afar by General Ramos, the ex-president of Verde Island. The General has been recently driven out of power on his island by the Juanista Rebels, and he hopes that by employing the Mercenaries they can aid him to help regain Verde Island and free his people from the torture and murder at the hands of the Juanistas. The Mercenaries are taken back by limo to General Ramos's private hidden villa, where they are shown photographs of the various crimes the Juanistas have inflicted on his people. Anyone who protests against them are hanged, including nuns and priests, old and young, women and children. No one is safe from their assassins, and it is because of this General Ramos is unable to strike with his armada and retake the island. Ramos tells the Mercenaries that he needs them to strike at Fortress Fuego, which guards the only approach to the island, and take out the guns defending it, therefore allowing his armada to attack and storm the island. He gives them $30,000 in advance, with another $70,000 should they succeed in destroying the guns. Later that night, the Mercenaries move towards the island underwater with scuba gear, hoping to sneak past the defenses. However, their approach is blocked by an underwater net laced with mines. Hoping to find a safe passage through the mines, the Mercenaries hop a ride on the back of giant sea turtles who swim through the minefield and into the underwater jungle to come through the defenses. They surface at an underground lake hidden deep within the mountain to breathe, and the Mercenaries find a way out from underground. However, they are attacked by General Ramos' men in scuba gear, who had hoped to dispose of the Mercenaries once they found a way to the surface around the defenses. Two hours later, General Ramos spots explosions coming from the fortress, his signal that it was safe to bring the armada in. However, the Mercenaries have tricked him. The guns remain safe, and they open fire onto the armada. The Mercenaries have learned that Ramos was the real enemy, having butchered the Juanistas and were driven out by his own people due to his tyranny. With the people of Verde Island now free, the Mercenaries are able to return home but without their promised pay. | Editor2_1 = Murray Boltinoff | Writer2_1 = Robert Kanigher | Penciler2_1 = Vic Catan | Inker2_1 = | Colourist2_1 = | Letterer2_1 = | Appearing2 = Featured Characters: * ** ** ** Antagonists: * General Ramos * Central American Thieves Other Characters: * Citizens of Verde Island * Unnamed Señoritas Locations: * La Fortuna, * Verde Island, Vehicles: * General Ramos' battleships (heavy cruisers) | StoryTitle3 = The G.I. and the Pin-Up Girl | Synopsis3 = Outside Reims, France, while American reinforcements await new orders, Private Herbie Walker sits staring at a photo of his dream girl - Betty Grable. It has been three months since she had sent him the autographed photo, and despite his constant writing to her she hasn't responded back since then. The other guys in his unit make fun of him for setting his hopes up so high. They tell him that Betty Grable wouldn't know him from a million other dogfaces, and even show him that she had sent them autographed photos just like his as well. Nothing they say can break Herbie's fantasies. He believes that Betty is his girl, and that their relationship is "different". Others show up. informing Herbie that they just heard that there's a U.S.O. show starring Betty Grable appearing back in the R-and-R area. Herbie's excitement is cut short when a German Mortar shell explodes in the middle of his unit, sending everyone jumping for cover. His unit, 2nd Platoon, is ordered to fall in and track down the German guns to knock them out, but Herbie is unwilling to miss his chance at meeting his dream girl. Risking the chance at being AWOL and getting court-martialed, Herbie breaks away from the platoon and heads in the direction of the R-and-R area. He reaches the camp, but is only moments too late - Betty and the U.S.O. troop have just left and are driving down the road. Herbie runs after the caravan, but there's no way he can catch up with them. He stops, defeated, watching as they disappear down the road. Then, lying on the ground, he finds a handkerchief with the initials "B.G." monogrammed on it. Then, he hears German voices coming from the tree line next to the road. Taking cover, he watches as a German platoon sneaks past towards the rear of the American forces. The entire mortar attack was a decoy, to draw off the Americans so that the Germans can ambush them on their return! Herbie only has one chance to act. He'll never make it back to his platoon in time to warn them. Getting an idea, Herbie runs behind the Germans and spots their ammo dump concealed within the trees. He tosses a grenade into the tents, and the entire ammo dump explodes! The loud blast alerts the American forces in the area just in time. Herbie is able to sneak back into his platoon without anyone knowing he was gone, but he's unable to tell his Captain what he has done or they'll know he went AWOL! However, when the other guys ask him if he was able to get together with "his girl Betty", he proudly shows them the handkerchief he found. What they don't know won't kill them! | Editor3_1 = Murray Boltinoff | Writer3_1 = George Kashdan | Penciler3_1 = Angel Trinidad, Jr. | Inker3_1 = | Colourist3_1 = Jerry Serpe | Letterer3_1 = Esphidy Mahilum | Appearing3 = Featured Characters: * Private Herbie Walker Supporting Characters: * Private Phil Gold * Private Arthur Antagonists: * Unnamed German soldiers Other Characters: * Betty Grable * Unnamed Platoon Captain Locations: * Reims, Items: * Betty Grable's handkerchief | StoryTitle4 = Stolen Battle | Synopsis4 = Over shrapnel-shredded terrain, a courier races from Paris towards the front line when suddenly they are attacked by an approaching German car. Their jeep damaged, the Major and Corporal dive for the ground and play dead as the enemy approaches. The Germans drive up alongside the American jeep, grabbing the courier cylinder from the back seat and speeding off down the road with their newly acquired treasure. The Corporal is furious that the Germans have gotten away with the maps they were transporting, but the Major tells him not to worry to much about them. Later, at the German camp, the men who stole the cylinder proudly hand it over to their commanding General. The General proclaims that with these maps the German army can stall the Americans for weeks or even months, long enough to turn the tide of the war. He eagerly opens the cylinder, but the lid is attached by a thin cord. The cylinder explodes, killing everyone in the tent and destroying the maps. Back on the road, with their jeep repaired the Major and Corporal speed back as fast as they can towards base camp. The Major explains that the cylinder was wired with an explosion. The whole trip was a diversion set by HQ to fool the Germans into stealing the cylinder. The Major tells the Corporal to drive faster, just as he pulls a cylinder containing the real maps from beneath his seat! | Editor4_1 = Murray Boltinoff | Writer4_1 = George Kashdan | Penciler4_1 = Gerry Talaoc | Inker4_1 = | Colourist4_1 = Jerry Serpe | Letterer4_1 = Gaspar Saladino | Appearing4 = Featured Characters: * Unnamed American Major * Unnamed American Corporal Antagonists: * Unnamed German General * Unnamed German Soldiers Locations: * Items: * Courier cylander Vehicles: * Willys MB U.S. Army Jeep * Volkswagen Kübelwagen light military vehicle | StoryTitle5 = The Souvenir Nobody Wanted | Synopsis5 = The Haunted tank rolls into a small Belgian town east of Ghent, expecting a fight. However, the Infantry have already cleared out the town and have set up shot, literally. They stop in front of a small war ravaged shot, where one Infantry Sergeant is selling Nazi souvenirs from the battle. He seems to have something for everyone - Jeb spots a Nazi flag that'd look good in his den back home, Gus sees a picture of Hitler to use as target practice, and Rick finds a nice camera. Sergeant Craig, on the other hand, wants nothing to do with the merchandise, telling the others that a souvenir is no good if you don't earn it. They realize that he's right. On their return back to base, the Haunted Tank is attacked by a German plane who is hedge hopping the ground. The plane dives in towards the tank but Jeb is able to blast the left wing off, sending it soft-crashing to the ground. Jeb jumps off the tank, determine to collect his very own hard-earned souvenir, but the plane explodes before he can reach it. Continuing down the road a few more miles, they run into a German half track. Jeb orders the men to fire, but Rick jams the gun before he can get a shot out. Gus opens fire with the hull gun but is unable to get a straight bead on the enemy. Trying a different strategy, he begins to "walk" .30-cal bursts onto the road towards them. The road ahead was mined, and Gus' shots set off a chain reaction destroying the half track. There's nothing left of the enemy, so Gus is unable to retrieve his souvenir. Jeb orders Craig to turn the tank hard right and get off the road, since they don't know how much of the road is still mined. As they reach a bridge leading over a river, their way is blocked by a Panzer on the other side. By now Rick has unjammed the turret gun and is ready for a fight. His show sends the Panzer toppling over the edge of the bridge into the river below, making it impossible for Rick to recover his souvenir as well. With three strikes against them, Jeb and the others head towards base. Back at base, Jeb, Rick and Gus dismount the tank and head for the mess tent for chow, but Sgt. Craig stays behind to relax and get some fresh air after being cooped up inside the tank all day. As he leans back to close his eyes, he hears the rustling of the leaves in the nearby tree line. Craig jumps down just in time to spot a squad of German infiltrators sneaking around for an ambush. He grabs the .50-cal off the tank's hatch and fires into the tree line. He kills most of them, but one of the lucky ones gets a clean shot at Craig hitting him in the chest. As Craig goes down wounded, the rest of the American squadron has been alerted and quickly run out to finish off the remaining Germans. Jeb and the others quickly rush Craig to the battalion hospital to have his wound treated. The doctor works slowly, as the bullet is only an inch from Craig's heart, but the surgery to remove it is a success. Later, when Craig finally wakes up, the Doctor shows him the bullet before he throws it out. Sgt. Craig asks for it, his very own souvenir. He's not going to give it up, not after all the trouble of carrying it inside him! | Editor5_1 = Murray Boltinoff | Writer5_1 = Robert Kanigher | Penciler5_1 = Sam Glanzman | Inker5_1 = | Colourist5_1 = Jerry Serpe | Letterer5_1 = Gaspar Saladino | Appearing5 = Featured Characters: * ** ** ** ** Supporting Characters: ** Antagonists: * Unnamed German soldiers Other Characters: * Unnamed American Sergeant * American Doctor Locations: * , Items: * Craig's bullet Vehicles: * * Junkers Ju 87 Sturzkampfflugzeug ground-attack aircraft * Sonderkraftfahrzeug German Half Track * Panzerkampfwagen IV | Notes = * For "The G.I. and the Pin-Up Girl" writer George Kashdan is credited with his rank of 1st Lt. FA NG. | Trivia = | Recommended = | Links = }}